SANDPOINT — A woman charged with second-degree arson for starting the fire that burned down the Army Surplus 1 store has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.  

Jennifer Suzanne Meyer, 51, pleaded guilty to second-degree arson, for which she is facing 15 years in prison — seven years determinate and eight years indeterminate. Meyer will receive credit for 336 days of time served and will not have to pay any fines. She will be required to pay restitution for damages to the Army Surplus 1 store, it is undetermined how much she will be required to pay.  

When an individual is charged with determinate prison time, they are required to serve that amount of time in prison. If they are eligible after that time is up, the individual may be granted parole. If they are not eligible for parole, they will be required to serve indeterminate time, if given any.   

In a June 16 sentencing hearing, District Court Judge Susie Jensen handed the sentence out in front of 22 spectators after hearing suggestions from prosecutor Louis Marshall and public defender Catherine Enright. A victim impact statement was also given by the Army Surplus 1 store owner Cornel Rasor, in addition to a statement from Meyer.  

The store owner, while giving a brief statement, said that the fire damaged much more than the building. On top of all the inventory that had accrued over the last 43 years, Rasor said he and his family had lost personal property, sentimental objects and inheritance. The owner also noted that insurance had not covered the total dollar amount in damages, eliminating their wages from the store.   

After acknowledging how his life has been impacted by Meyer’s actions, the store owner requested that Meyer “give her heart to the Gospel of Jesus,” as her “soul is worth more” than the damages that had occurred. During an entry of plea hearing, Meyer had announced to the court that she did not believe in God as she was asked to take an oath of truth, which states that an individual will tell the truth “under God.”  

Following the victim statement, Marshall suggested a sentencing of 15 years incarcerated. Marshall hit several points for the reasoning of the requested sentence, saying that Meyer was essentially unpredictable and a danger to the community.  

“Like most people, I jumped to the conclusion that it was a political motive. But that’s not the case.” Marshall said. “So, why did she do it? I don’t even think Ms. Meyer knows why she did it.” 

Marshall further went on to say that there’s a safety concern of releasing Meyer out to the public, arguing that the incident was mental health related and that they couldn’t be positive that it wouldn’t happen again.  

Additionally, Marshall told the court that the timing of the fire posed a great danger to the community. The fire occurred during a very busy part of the summer, the evening of the Fourth of July, and the building was an older structure that contained a lot of ammo. 

To that, Enright acknowledged the statements made by the store owner and Marshall, saying that Meyer’s acts were dependent on her poor mental state at the time.  

“This is a product of a circumstance,” said Enright, indicating Meyer’s poor mental health.  

Enright suggested to the court that supervised probation would allow Meyer to continue with mental health treatment and give her the opportunity to work so that she could pay restitution once it is determined. Enright acknowledged that, according to Meyer’s pre-sentencing investigation, she had a 10.4% chance of reoffending if either incarcerated or put on supervised probation. 

Enright further shared Meyer’s remorse for the situation, saying that once she was mentally able to assist in her defense, she wanted to plead guilty and admit to her wrongdoing. 

Meyer agreed with Enright, telling the court that the event had “been life-changing” and that she “formally apologizes and hopes for a second chance.”  

When it came time for Jensen to sentence Meyer, she concluded that prison was necessary.  

“This sends a strong message that actions like this are not tolerated and there will be consequences,” said Jensen. Jensen said that Meyer’s tone in her PSI was a main concern, as Meyer's response to why she started the fire was that that the Amry Surplus 1 building was “an eyesore” and she “just cleaned up the neighborhood with diesel and a match.”  

Jensen told the court that she believed Meyer was not apologetic about starting the fire and that her feelings of anxiety were not enough to justify her actions.  

“I don’t want to downplay your mental illness; you are mentally ill. I don’t think your illness was that extreme,” said Jensen. “Your (Meyer’s) recollection of the event is very clear, you drank two alcoholic beverages and made a decision. I think you did know that it was wrong.”  

Additionally, Jensen noted that Meyer’s PSI indicated that she was looking “to make a change” to her physical place and where she was in life, giving Jensen further reasoning for worrying that Meyer could reoffend if she was in a bad mental state again.  

According to a probable cause affidavit, when the arson fire investigation started, security footage led Sandpoint deputies to believe Meyer was in the vicinity of the crime scene and acting in a suspicious demeanor. After local authorities brought Meyer in for an interview, police informed her that she was seen on several security cameras on the night of the fire. When asked about her whereabouts, a search warrant affidavit suggests “Meyer was caught lying about her statements regarding her routes and clothing attire during the time in question.”   

Subsequent to further questioning by Sandpoint police, Meyer was arrested on a charge of first-degree arson and transported to Bonner County Jail.   

A search warrant for Meyer’s house was obtained shortly after her arrest. At her house, officials found a bag next to the front door containing personal documents such as a driver’s license, birth certificate, college transcript and passport, $1,000 in cash, a gun and ammunition and silver valued at $1,200.   

During her preliminary hearing, Meyer refused to appear on camera, resulting in the jail transferring her to the courthouse. As a result of Meyer’s behavior, concerns were raised regarding her mental health.   

A competency hearing later determined Meyer was unable to assist in her defense and was “significantly impaired” and unable to understand further proceedings. Meyer was transferred to Idaho State Hospital North where she received mental health treatment. According to court records, she received treatment from Aug. 21 to Jan. 30, before being placed back into custody at Bonner County Jail.   

Shortly after her transfer to the jail, Meyer attended an arraignment hearing where she heard the charges being filed against her. When asked how she pled to the first-degree arson charge, Meyer’s defense counsel entered a not guilty plea on her behalf, and a trial date was set for May 12.   

On April 8, Meyer appeared before the court for a change of plea hearing, where she pleaded guilty to second-degree arson as part of a plea deal.